An Oxymoron: Our Pompous Humility

MERCEDES AND OUR POMPOUS HUMILITY.

A few weeks ago, the MB of Terengganu announced that its EXCOS will be using Mercedes. The total cost for the purchase is around RM3 over million. The decision to use Mercedes was made over the continued use of locally made protons.

If we want to use Mercedes, we will sing the praises thereof. We will try very hard to discredit proton. Essentially it’s a matter of preference. Personal tastes are also considered.

Hopefully, the decision to use Mercedes will not be viewed purely from the political angle. Deciding to use Mercedes over Proton must not be viewed as abandoning nationalism. Owning a Proton Perdana is not the equivalent to nationalism all right? Pimps use Perdana V6 to ferry live chickens too. Perdana and Protons are used for a variety of purposes.

We can argue till we are blue in the fface and the cows come home, a decision has already been reached. You can’t use all the Mercedes at once to ferry visitors around can you? Patrick Lim comes a visiting on very rare occasions and he will probably use the helicopter anyway. Michelle Yeoh and her partner, come in their own mode of transport. We do not begrudge them nor judge them right? Ministers who come to pay a visit are transported in a Mercedes. I shall not discount a person’s nationalism should he choose to ride in a Mercedes. I think others should not too.

Therefore, let the EXCOS from oil rich Terengganu use the Mercedes they have bought. They can afford it. The state is rich. We can’t impose our own warped sense of social equality on others. if we feel strongly against the use of Mercedes, why should we want others to follow our personal dictates? We the accuse, the finger pointing self righteous fellows, will walk instead. Agree? Saya sokong, saya sokong.

Because the rest of the rakyat is suffering? Because it is not morally proper? What has the suffering of the rakyat got to do with the decision to use a Mercedes?. The MB ofTrengganu has said that maintenance cost for Protons is costly. We must accept this. Maybe the roads in Terengganu are not of the same quality as in KL or other west coast states.

Isn’t it penny wise pound foolish on our part to pooh pooh the decision to use Mercedes when we are clearly wasting money on other things?. I applaud the decision to examine the expenditure made on the crystal mosque and the Monsoon Cup. Above all let us not be hypocrites. If we want to show that we are on the side of the people as judged by the cars we use, then ask the federal government ministers and all the top government officers to ride in protons. The Mercedes, Bentleys, RRs and others should be banned from the Malaysian scene.

The rakyat do not care a rat’s ass whatever cars you want to use. The PM and DPM and all the ministers can show pompous humility riding in protons and so forth, but their private vehicles are all imported. Sell your Range Rovers, your Porsche Cayennes, your Aston Martins, your Hummers, your Rolls Royces, your X5, to me for a song. I don’t give a damn what you think. I find it farcical to denounce the purchase of Mercedes when we are clearly washing our resources down the drain on even more ridiculous projects.

The rakyat wont raise an eyebrow should you choose to ride in your expensive cars, official or unofficial. They however want to know, when you can reduce the price of a packet of rice. The farmer wants to know when you want to reduce the price of fertiliser and seedlings and other essentials.

You and your expensive cars, Mercedeses or not, can go fly kite or better still, those who vehemently condemn the purchase of the Mercedes can all store your arguments, ubi sol non lucet!( where the sun doesn’t shine!).